Why the Nintendo Switch 2’s MicroSD Express Compatibility Might Cost You More

After the exciting debut of the Nintendo Switch 2, we’ve got some juicy specifics about its hardware. One of the standout features is that this console will need a new type of MicroSD card called MicroSD Express, which is bound to hit your pocketbook hard. These new cards are more expensive per gigabyte than many modern SSDs, costing around 20 to 25 cents per GB while some budget SSDs are as low as 5 to 6 cents per GB. The price hike is partly due to the NVMe and PCIe 3.0 technology that these cards incorporate, similar to what’s found in M.2 SSDs.

Sandisk has announced their MicroSD Express line, starting at $49.99 for 128GB and climbing to $64.99 for 256GB. They’re pretty speedy, offering read speeds up to 880 MB/s, write speeds at 480 MB/s, and a sustained write speed of 100 MB/s.

Meanwhile, Lexar is stepping into the ring with cards as large as 1TB. But hang on to your wallet, because the price tag isn’t for the faint-hearted in this new tech category.

If you’re eyeing Lexar’s Play Pro 1TB MicroSD Express card, be prepared to shell out $199.99. The 512GB model is $99.99, and the 256GB version will set you back $49.99. Lexar claims their cards can hit read speeds of 900 MB/s and write at 600 MB/s.

Comparatively, Sandisk’s smaller MicroSD Express cards clock in at about $0.39 per gigabyte for the 128GB model, and $0.25 per gigabyte for the 256GB version. Lexar’s prices seem to offer better value across all capacities at $0.20 per gigabyte, and with seemingly superior specs.

It’s clear storage is crucial for the Switch 2. The console comes with 256GB of built-in storage, but here’s a snag: Just popping in a cartridge might not be enough to start playing. You could end up downloading and installing the full game onto your system, with the cartridge acting as a sort of license key, termed by Nintendo as a “Game-Key Card”. This stems from developers trying to limit the cost of cartridges, especially given the expected rise in NAND storage prices.

Take Street Fighter 6 as an example. Even after buying the physical cartridge, you’d still be downloading an extra 50GB to play. Hence, the Switch 2’s built-in storage can fill up quickly, making those pricey MicroSD Express cards an almost necessary additional expense, unless you enjoy the constant cycle of downloading and deleting games.

A closer look at the new MicroSD Express standard reveals significant advancements over the UHS-I cards used by the original Switch. While they might look similar, Express cards boast more pins—16 or 17 compared to the eight on UHS-I cards—and they’re categorized by speed into four classes: Class 150, Class 300, Class 450, and Class 600, with the numbers representing minimum read/write speeds in MB/s. Powered by NVMe and PCIe 3.0, these cards potentially reach speeds up to 2GB/s through PCIe 4.0.

Although we’ve yet to know if the Switch 2 can hit those lofty speeds or if any MicroSD Express card currently on the market can reach those theoretical limits, Lexar’s Play Pro MicroSDXC Express card is leading the pack in terms of potential speed. “The new microSD Express standard offers us a way to deliver a memory card with incomparable performance in that form factor,” Joey Lopez from Lexar noted. With this tech, they are readying a card that sets the stage for next-gen handheld gaming.

As we anticipate to personally test these cards and the Switch 2 itself, there’s plenty of promise that console and accessory alike could reshape gaming performance. For now, Nintendo fans are abuzz, waiting for these advancements to hit the real world.